Tens of thousands of Syrians stranded in Jordan

New satellite imagery dated August 31, 2016, shows the dire situation for tens of thousands of Syrians stranded at the Jordanian border. The imagery shows Syrians waiting in large numbers around at least seven water distribution sites.

“These latest satellite images confirm that the humanitarian crisis at the Rukban encampment has not been resolved, and appears to be getting worse,” said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “Jordan should immediately allow humanitarian agencies to resume life-saving aid deliveries to alleviate their suffering.”

Since July 2014, the Jordanian authorities have stranded tens of thousands of Syrian asylum seekers in a barren desert area inside Jordan just north of a raised sand barrier, or berm. The barrier marks the limit of a demilitarized zone, which ends several hundred meters south of the Syrian-Jordanian border.

After a June 21, 2016 attack by the extremist group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, on a nearby border post, the authorities suspended almost all aid to the approximately 70,000 people, mostly children and women, stuck there. Between August 2 and 4, the authorities lifted a limited amount of aid over the berm by crane, but since then no aid other than water has reached those in need.